Introduction to Groupthink (GT)Groupthink occurs when the norms for conforming in a homogeneous group become so strong, and members are highly concerned about maintaining unanimity, that they fail to critically evaluate their options and consequently make a poor decision.
Objectives-- As a result of this unit you should be able to:
- Identify the conditions that predispose a team to groupthink
- Give examples of GT and its effects on team performance or outcome
- Identify the team dyanmics and symptoms of GT
- Explain how various countermeasures work to rpevent or reduce GT
- Examples of GT
- Challenger Disaster-- Administrators under time pressure ignored engineer's concerns about failure of the O-rings months before take-off in part due to recent bad press and the need to make NASA's efforts appear more timely.. Data from the disaster.
- Bay of Pigs Invasion-- Poor assumptions, planning, then abandonment of the troops. The Kennedy Cabinet during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. In chlessinger's, A Thousand Days: Silent at the White House during the Bay of Pigs, RFK was quoted as approaching Schlesinger and saying: "You may be right or wrong, but the president has made up his mind. Don't push it any further. Now is the time to help him all we can." Schlesinger stopped his usual role as devil's advocate and critic and began to sanction his own challenges.
- Abilene Paradox-- Shared assumptions about a trip and no one said what they really believed
- Revisiting the Abilene Paradox: Is management of agreement still an issue?
- Pearl Harbor-- Admiral Kimmel and Pearl Harbor. Kimmel's PAC fleet in Hawaii was considered invulnerable, and the Japanese were considered foolish if they started a war they surely could not win. Kimmel believed this and disregarded warnings of attack, right up until bombs started falling on Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt also showed complacency regarding the risks.
- Nixon's Watergate scandal--
- Clinton's approval of the Waco Texas raid--
- Truman's invasion of North Korea--
- Truman's decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima--
- Johnson's escalation of the Viet Nam War--
- Reagon's Iran-Contra arms deal--
- Iran Hostage Rescue-- The Iranian hostage attempted rescue during the Carter administration had no contingency plan for the helicopter's that crashed in the desert en route.
- United Airline Flight 173-- flight crew became preoccupied with undercarriage problems, ignored other details...and crashed
- Characteristics of GT
- How it Gets That Way (cohesion, norms, conformity, and deviation)
- Weblinks
- How to think-- perils of GT
- Discussion of symptoms & counters
- GT Model-- comprehensive model!
- GT the darkside & how to counteract--
- Recasting groupthink as a failure of leadership (article)
- Team Traps-- nice systems model of false concensus building
- Group decision making--
- Groupthink Model--
- References
- Janis, I. (1972). Victims of groupthink. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin
- Janis, I. (1982). Groupthink: Psychological studies of policy decisions and fiascoes. Boston MA: Houghton Mifflin
